Career Development and Advising
Advisors and mentors play an essential role in guiding students through medical school. Workshops, discussion groups, activities, and meetings with mentors and faculty members take place throughout all four years. These activities are designed to facilitate the career planning process and provide guidance from a student’s first day through the residency application process and the Match.
Student Advising in the VIC
Advising during Foundations and Clerkship
Upon matriculation, each student is assigned a Primary Advisor who is available to provide support and information, as well as to guide discussions on academic progress, career and student wellness. Primary Advisors are connected to the student’s assigned Professionalism, Communication and Reflection group, and students are required to set up at least two formal advising sessions each year.
Mentoring continues through the Clerkship Year with PCR-3.
The Careers in Medicine Specialty Panel Series is held each fall to introduce first-year students to the AAMC's Careers in Medicine Program and allow exploration of specialties through presentations and Q&A sessions with clinical faculty.
Additionally, events sponsored by clinical departments occur throughout the year and are posted to the LCOM Events Calendar.
Specialty Advising during Advanced Integration
In December/January of the Clerkship Year, students choose a Specialty Advisor in the specialty of their choice. The role of the Specialty Advisor is to assist with the fourth-year elective selection and to provide specialty-specific guidance during the residency application process.
Specialty Advising Directors have been identified in each specialty to serve as the first point of contact to students who are interested in pursuing that specialty. Specialty Advising Directors may serve as specialty advisors themselves or refer students to other faculty members within their department.
Students who have not decided on a specialty are encouraged to meet with one of the Deans for Students for guidance and resources. Secure a drop-in session with any of the Deans for Students online.
Peer Support
Big Sib Program: Each first-year medical student is matched with a student from the second-year class who serves as a friend, mentor, information source, and support system.
Specialty Sibs: Clerkship students will have the opportunity to pair with Advanced Integration students who are pursuing the same specialty in which they are interested.
Peer Support Student Interest Group: Contact Student Affairs for more information or see Student Interest Groups.
Career Advising
Choosing a medical specialty is one of the most significant decisions a medical student will make. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has developed an outstanding program, Careers in Medicine, to help with this process. Across all four years of medical school, there are tools to help students identify career goals, explore specialty and practice options and choose a specialty, as well as select and apply to residency programs when the time comes.
The Careers in Medicine program is structured to support medical students through a four-step career planning process (AAMC login required):
Getting Started: